Thief caught by scars on ears where victim bit him a decade ago

A jewellery thief was caught by police after they identified scars on his ears where a victim bit him more than 10 years ago.

When Gary Mills was tracked down to Malaga, Spain forensic professionals noticed the scars on his ear and fingers were consistent with the injuries sustained during the attempted robbery in SunningdalePhoto: CENTAL NEWS

By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent

7:15AM GMT 27 Feb 2009

Gary Mills, 32, attempted to wrench diamond rings from the fingers of the woman outside her Berkshire home in May 1998, but she attacked back, drawing blood by biting his finger and ear. Mills escaped empty handed and accidently dropped a baseball cap as he fled.

When Mills was tracked down to Malaga, Spain, for his involvement in another incident recently, forensic professionals noticed the defendants' scars on his ear and fingers were consistent with the injuries sustained during the attempted robbery in Sunningdale.

Officers gave him a DNA test and the results matched the samples taken from the cap.

Faced with the evidence, he pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court yesterday to attempted robbery.

Det Chf Insp Craig Turner, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Mills has been caught with the use of forensic technology coupled with the bravery of a female victim determined to prevent the theft of her diamond jewels".

In a separate incident in May 2007, Mills was tracked by firearms officers in an Audi A3 as he drove around west London. He tried to evade them by mounting the pavement and ramming a police vehicle. The car then drove along the busy pavement. The abandoned Audi was later found with ammunition, two Nokia mobile phones with Mills DNA on; as well as documents relating to what is thought to have been a potential business robbery target. CCTV allowed officers to view Mills disposing of items in nearby recycling bins where officers later found a 9mm gun alongside more ammunition.

He was tracked to Malaga in Spain where an extradition was lodged with the Spanish authorities. He was arrested on the 14th May 2007 before being extradited back to the UK. His DNA was then linked back to both the incident in Berkshire and west London.

Mr Turner said: "His brazen disregard for other's safety in evading police by driving along a busy pavement shows just how dangerous an individual he is".